With it being just over a month until Christmas, I thought it would be a great time to make some homemade Mincemeat. It’s the perfect time to make it before the mad Christmas rush begins. It gets you into the calm pre christmas spirits. I’ve made my own for a few years specially as I’m a vegetarian. Usually the ready-made versions tends to have Beef suet in the mincemeat.
Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices. You can change and add different fruits depending on your taste.
My husband loves cherries, anything to do with cherries – so I decided to use Cherry Brandy as the alcohol but you can use any Brandy, Sherry or rum to help preserve the fruit.The mincemeat will keep for over 6 months, and if you can make it at least in a month in advance it helps the flavours bed down and soak into the fruits.This recipe makes about 600gs worth of mincemeat which should be just right amount for some mince pies just before christmas.
Ingredients:
85g dried mixed fruit
85g dried apricots
85g dried sultanas
85g dried cranberries
50g candied mixed peel
1 small Apple
70g butter
25g chopped mixed nuts
115g dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1 small orange
100ml cherry brandy
In a pan add the dried fruits and peel and chop an apple.
Add the sugar, cinnamon and mixed spiced.
Add the butter cold and in small chunks, then add the zest and juice of the orange.
Put the pan on medium heat and stir until the butter melted, then allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow to cool down, then add the Cherry Brandy and stir.
Grab 1-2 sterilised jars and use a jam funnel to fill the jars with mincemeat.
( To sterilise: wash in hot soapy water and place into the oven at 150c for 20 minutes or run through a dishwasher on hot)
Fill the jars with the mincemeat and store in cupboard until ready to use.